Comparing Colorado to Texas

This isn't exactly about the childfree life, but it is kinda. So, I thought I'd post it here.

I just returned from a trip to Denver and Boulder, Colorado. We're thinking seriously about moving up there. The difference between Colorado and Texas are amazing.

Within two days, I saw more couples holding hands in Colorado, than I've seen in ten years in Texas.

The families I saw were small (two kids) instead of the usual Texan family of six. And the kids looked happy. The parents took their time with their children and seemed to enjoy being with them. As opposed to the Texas macho "hurry up, dammit" attitude.

I had to look for a church. There wasn't one on every corner.

There also wasn't a donut shop on every corner in Colorado, like there is in Texas.

I was the fattest guy in the whole town! Here, I'm one of the skinniest.

Colorado has an open attitude about sex. In Texas, it's legal to sell dildos, vibrators, and other toys. But the stores are usually in bad parts of town, and their signs read "Lingerie, Novelties, Videos." The store in Boulder took up the whole building, it was in the business district, and their sign read "Celebrating Sexuality." That was refreshing.

I saw no gay couples. None. Our host told us that Colorado has an accepting attitude, so gay couples don't need to make statements of their need for equality. In Texas, they kiss on the street just to push back at the Fundies.

The food! Not only were the Colorado portions of a human size (no 72 ounce steaks), but they were healthy. I had no heartburn while I was up there. Oh, elk burgers taste great.

Not one pro-life billboard in Colorado. I see them every mile in Texas.

I live in a college town in Texas. Boulder is also a college town, but the differences were staggering. The kids here are hipsters. The kids there are hippies. There is a big difference. Hipsters see things as organic food as a fad. Hippies mean it. Hipsters in Texas are surly (I hate walking downtown here). They glare at me as if I'm the one walking on their lawn (I was green and drinking Pabst while their parents were still in high school). The hippies of Boulder were very well mannered -- one told me it was illegal to smoke where I was and he didn't want me to get busted, while another shared his pipe with me (my first hit of marijuana).

Yes, I smoked marijuana, on the streets of Boulder, Colorado, with a cop ten feet away. Interesting experience. While I didn't care for the personality change (it made me happy and want to make the whole world laugh), I did like not having any chronic pain for the rest of the night. I don't dare do that in Texas! It's Tylenol here.

I like the Colorado work ethic. They work hard enough to support their lifestyle, be it hiking, kayaking, books, whatever. Then, they stop. They don't climb the corporate ladder. I saw very few BMWs or Lexuses. The cars were either economical (Chevrolet, Honda) or practical for snow covered hills. Not many McMansions. Oh, there were burbs like crazy, but they looked more at home in the 1970s. In Texas, it's all about the money. Everyone wants to be a cowboy, or a yuppie. The roads are full of BMWs, Lexuses, expensive sports cars, etc. McMansions everywhere.

The air in Colorado is clear and the sky is blue. The air over Dallas-Fort Worth is brown. That isn't smog. It's because this area is a bowl. The dust and grime of the prairie settles here and never leaves. The Comanche used to call this area "the land of bad air." Only 12 hours back and my sinuses are clogged again.

Sigh! I want to move NOW!

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Well, it sounds like you like it! wink

I just put a video up here ("Cool Tech Video") about this place - which you may as well call Waterworld LOL.

How interesting that you speak of couples holding hands while for me - I am interested in geek stuff, the infrastructure, hidden things, visual things, etc.

Which is probably good for me because the people here are assholes (Nice man in the vid, yeah and that's why he's got that job - very personable and well spoken + decades of complex tech knowledge.) Oh, these are the type of people I seek out and associate with. And there are plenty of them too - just about every other person here is some kind of engineer or architect.

Parts of this are (from what I can see, supposedly (according to opinions on some geek forum) - the maps of this are restricted and have been pulled off the net because - terrorism eyes2) - but - from what others have pieced together from older maps - part of this is literally right underneath me. 17.5K HP motors on the pumps Nathan! This trumps ALL! Fuck that hand holding and hippies - you ought to come to Waterworld

Well, except the people here are kinda jerks. And it's stupid fucking expensive. And congested as all fuck to where the traffic is gridlocked like 24/7. Gah. But - the tunnels ~ The hidden things. The sky scrapers - Otherworld ~

Me and friends discuss Otherworld all the time. All the hidden things. Because we're geeks like that ha ha.

Oh and we got more reefer than you can shake a stick at You can order it up right over the net (and yes, it is still technically illegal here.) But no one cares. You won't get pinched. At worst you'll get a ticket / small fine. You smoked some pot just lately? You should smoke more! Lots more. I smoke weed like cigs. And only the top end hydro. Yanno, the stuff with the designer names. Going rate is $25/g. For price comparison to CO LOL. Don't pay any more than that. For the 'regular' stuff it should be no more than $25 for 1/8 oz. Everybody needs to get on the Metric system already, jaysus. Anyone who talks lids, bags, dime bags - avoid. The pros with the good stuff sell by the gram.

Helpful tip

Sure you don't want to come to Waterworld? Hot and Jungle like! LOL Goes 24/7. You want the 'hard stuff' - that too. Anything you want, you can get or experience here. I like the Big City myself.
I've been to many places, all over the world, and Chicago IS *the greatest* city on the planet. Very Otherworldly. I feel fortunate that I was able to move here and got a good deal (housing wise.) It is ridiculously expensive. But I like the atmosphere, all the cool scenery, and if you haven't guessed by now - I like water. Beaches, rivers, lakes, canals, swamps, bogs - Waterworld ~
(I am orig. from Lower MI which is considered 'part of' this general urban mass.)

Oh anyway I almost forgot my point of mentioning that video - you can do the same and watch things about where you might consider going. Gain more info or just see more scenery. CO is nice. I believe it was Dorisan who mentioned the air there. I don't think I could take that personally, I don't really remember. I am used to being close to sea level. It's funny too because the speaker in the vid I put up - often coughs. You might think it's due to being underground - but I find myself doing this, everyone does it all the time. Hot, dense, wet, jungle like place. You're always hacking crap up (hey Zoe, you may wanna lay off the weed ) They already have the allergy / pollen counts up on the news. Few people know this - they seem to think Chi is like NY and once they get here they are greatly surprised. It's much more modern and very hot and humid. Chi is way better than NY. More modern. Tourists love to glomb onto you and are impressed that you live here. Yes, it's a very cool and unusual place. Not what many envision or expect. Better, and different than what they had pictured. We get 40 Million tourists every year. It's awesome! I feel lucky that I am able to live here. The greatest city on Earth!

If you like the Mountains and that sort of scenery - CO is a good choice. If you get a hankering for water - you will like anywhere in the US / Canadian Great Lakes region. Even for a Holiday. See something different. Tourism is HUGE all over here in Waterworld.

I adore Colorado. It's my second favorite state, right behind Oregon.

God, I love Oregon.

I want to take a trip to Oregon!

OK Yes - videos on this in the mean time! wink

I know of several people who want to move there - I'm of the mind - research first. I'm not anal but I do like to see, think over, and consider.

Scouting trips and Holidays are always a good idea too.

Again, I don't over analyze but nor am I like the Breeders who think - oh, there's nothing on TV tonight - let's have another baybee! eyes2

I like to think things through at least somewhat. IMO it's fun to think and plan, too! As well as just looking for entertainment and enjoyment. I do not have pay TV nor any big flat screen TV. But - one of the only reasons I'd like these things - maybe - is to watch travel and educational shows. I would especially like to see some good scenic video in hi def.

So what are those like - 3 channels on the pay TV? eyes2 I can get the same on free PBS and just mash my face closer to the screen to see better

I find lots of cool things to look at on the net too wink

I don't know. I've often wondered about myself. I was born on the coldest day of the year (at least by South Carolina standards). I can take it a lot colder than my little Yankee wife. Yet, I've never cottoned to cold climates. Until this past weekend. While my New Yorker wife huddled in the car in five layers, I stood outside at Estes Park, admiring magpies, in only a shirt and sweater. And I felt at home. Not every Southerner can say that.

Perhaps, I'm a Stark after all.

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Oregon really is the anti-Texas. They are complete opposites in terms of politics, environmental issues, climate, sprawl, and so many other things. Oregon is freaking paradise as far as I'm concerned. Nathan, your description of Texas is spot on. I would probably like Colorado better if I didn't have problems with altitude sickness. It's really beautiful. I think a great biz idea for up there would be opening an oxygen bar - I tried to find one in the Denver area but no luck!

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Ketchup
Oregon really is the anti-Texas. They are complete opposites in terms of politics, environmental issues, climate, sprawl, and so many other things. Oregon is freaking paradise as far as I'm concerned. Nathan, your description of Texas is spot on. I would probably like Colorado better if I didn't have problems with altitude sickness. It's really beautiful. I think a great biz idea for up there would be opening an oxygen bar - I tried to find one in the Denver area but no luck!

Really? I didn't look for one, but I would have thought Denver was where oxygen bars were born. Most people there are not from there, so they do need help. Hmm ... I wonder if I could sell oxygen shots from on of those bicycle powered hot dog vans.

The altitude did get to me. I'm overweight. But popping CoQ10 and L-arginine (both are vasodilators) really helped.

I lived in Boulder for six years. Graduated high school there. I miss it all the time. It's a fantastic, perfect place to live, with the exception of not having an ocean.

And ...

IT'S IN!

We are moving!

DW has a line on a job and I have a contact at U Denver!

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nathanomir
And ...

IT'S IN!

We are moving!

DW has a line on a job and I have a contact at U Denver!

wink

I was just going to suggest - the opposite direction. Eg. Mexico. And further South. You can write your own ticket down there. Tech people do well and everything's en Ingles - so obviously they will need communications people, too. Low cost of living. You need to look out for guerilla warfare. No, seriously. Nicaragua is always iffy. I've done biz in these places. Not for extended periods, but long enough and - yeah - you can work out some good deals down there. Honduras is nice wink

I was thinking of my MX friend too. Except he was "Born in the USA". Here, he's a Chicagoan. He's a Gringo LOL. Crazy guy. His Dad's from El Paso, TX.

Something to keep in mind. US, NA, and EU, OZ, Japanese, Russian, Israeli - any 'advanced' education is highly prized in these places, something for those looking to relocate to consider.

The Urban areas are just like any place else.

The outlying areas - you're getting into the badlands ~

One of the reasons I find such places attractive ~ It gets weird and creepy in the back of the beyond ~

It's all another Otherworld ~

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nathanomir
And ...

IT'S IN!

We are moving!

DW has a line on a job and I have a contact at U Denver!

I am a graduate of the University of Denver (call it DU). I lived in Denver until I was 12, then moved to Texas until I was 18. Then it was back to Denver for a few years during college, then back to Texas until I joined the military in my 20s.

I love Colorado. Texas SUCKED. My parents lived there for 30 years and never felt like it was home. We all live in Virginia now, which suits us all just fine, but it ain't Colorado.

Enjoy it, you will love DU and the mountains and hiking in Red Rocks and bright, cold, sunny days that make the snow sparkle with a million colors.

I'm so jealous.

Starbelly, come with us! It looks like we aren't the only ones relocating to Colorado. Let's set up a whole Denver-Boulder-Colorado Springs CF hangout!

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